Today, three main types of insertion materials are being studied as lithium ion battery cathodes, the so-called nickel manganese cobalt-based layered oxides, nickel manganese-based spinels, and iron-based olivines. While each class has its own strengths, none are ideal. Nickel manganese cobalt-based layered oxides offer high energy density, but have questionable safety and poor rate capability. Manganese-based spinels, on the other hand, have good rate capability but low specific capacity, low energy density, and poor cycle life at high temperature. Lastly, iron-based olivines are cheap, safe, and show good cycle life, but have low gravimetric and volumetric energy density. Therefore, searching for novel and improved cathode materials is important for the lithium ion battery industry.